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Saturday, 31 December 2016

I celebrated the New Year (2017 Yeahhh!) by cutting my hair with a 'buzzer' straight over the lot - followed by a hot shower - two cups of coffee and by dribbling egg yoke & bacon fat down the front of a new clean shirt - then by burning a pot full of new potatoes.

- Well they only burned on the bottom eh - and I reckon that the blackened saucepan will likely clean-up like new .. one day.

Those of you who have reallylived will have fond childhood memories of baking potatoes in the embers of an open air fire - and of that culinary delight while burning your fingers eating the charred remains of the outside and mouthing your way into the still raw interior.

- Hey, Mum must have been so patient keeping an eye on us.

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No doubt there will be new stuff to think about in 2017 - How about OWL Tracers (I have this image of an owl with a torch held between its feet).

OWL Bullet Bases.

OWL tracers use an inert glowing substance applied to the base of a standard ball projectile. The luminescence of this substance is activated during firing, either by the heat, flash / pressure and has no fire risk, and can only be seen from the rear in a 30 degree arc.

This technology may become the military’s non-incendiary limited angle visibility tracer round, called the “One-Way Luminescence” (OWL) tracer.Conventional tracers use pyrotechnic compounds burning inside the base of the bullet to produce a bright flash that marks the trajectory of the projectile in flight, allowing for aiming corrections but also tending to set dry bush on fire and great for attacking Zeppelins - so are not generally a good idea in Summer.

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- Or maybe the Saiga Mk-107 "low-recoil" .223" will be released onto the market.

The new Russian Saiga MK-107 is a semi-automatic gas operated rifle with recoil-mitigating balanced action. This means that it features two gas pistons in a single gas block above the barrel working from opposite directions.

Friday, 30 December 2016

Those famous plow-handle grips are nearly always acclaimed as being the perfect shape for handling recoil.

Colt Model 1873 Plow-Handle Grips.

(Too Short For Most Hands)

I accept that this original stock pattern is interesting and many old timers who cut their teeth on a 1873'Peacemaker' type single action revolver have learned to love that iconic shape. (..You always remember Your First) - Even Ilove it - especially on my Ruger Old Army charcoal burners - but I don't think that the shape is scientifically designed for recoil control.**

Shooting one of these things clarifies the situation - as every full-power shot causes that stock to break free from your fingers as the gun 'pops-up' and the barrel rotates upwards and over towards your forehead by converting the recoil kick into flip-up that is hopefully restrained by the shooters middle two fingers.

The sticky-out 'heel' of that plow-handle must help direct the piece into 'lift-off' rotation. If using a powerful round you'll need to re-grip before each subsequent aimed shot.

It would take a mechanical engineer to calculate how much of that rotation comes from the high barrel line above your wrist - and what percentage is caused by the plow-handle shape.

Bisley Model Pattern Grips.

After 21 years - in 1894 the "Plow Handle" was improved for target shooters - into the longer and more vertical 'Bisley Model' grip.

I reckon that when you squeeze a lump of clay in your hand you must get a clue as to what shape best fits a hand - It will be smaller or tapering towards the bottom for your little finger or 'pinkie' to get a grip - the opposite shape to the "Plow-Handle":

Squeezed Clay?

Chiappa Rhino.

- Something like the Chiappa Rhino grips - yes I know that they are ugly - an affront to eyes that are expecting to see "normal" guns.. but the combination of the low (bottom chamber) barrel line and the ergonomic shaped grips work to greatly reduce muzzle flip and increase gun control.

Grip angle is an issue surely best determined by measuring the average grip - as Glock says they did.

Grip size is an individual matter further dictated by if you are shoving-up a magazine.

M&P Grip Looks About Right?

I DO like the looks of birds head grips - when I get rich I'll buy a pair of Ruger Vaqueros;

Can't Recoil Any Worse Than "Plow Handles".

Old Flintlocks Stock Shapes Seem Logical

Historical Note**
The first handguns that I ever shot were a Glock 17 and a Glock 18full auto in the gun range under the Canberra Police Headquarters. - An interesting demonstration session made remarkable for an Aussie Army Major locking-on to the G18 trigger as it climbed past the vertical in his hand - while he discharged the whole magazine into the concrete roof and brought down a shower of cement and splatter (inc. 'spall') onto our heads .. You can actually fire controlled three or four round bursts on the trigger.

Regarding the full-auto G18 - Austrian Airport anti-terror cops used to carry theirs with a standard magazine in place - If / When terrorist action starts they were trained to draw and fire that whole magazine into the air .. reload with a thirty round mag. - and then anyone left standing (not having dived for the ground) was to be regarded as a possible target.

I didn't read it because I 'smelled a rat'as soon as I saw that title and I scanned down the page and counted more than 10 (14?) of the touted "best 16" are in fact from a list of trade offerings on the 1911 theme from different US marketing businesses. Well they've got different names stamped on the slides eh.

There is a word that exactly describes this 'covert advert' writing : 'PUERILE'.

The "by-line" says 'BY TACTICAL LIFE' - as the anonymous writer is obviously not convinced by his own story that ten out of sixteen of the best pistols are really & truly an antique single-stack design from over a hundred years ago.

Fancy this ... one of these ten 1911s features a "Bullet Proof mag well and a solid trigger". - Well I never did !!! - what's wrong with a bendy rubber trigger then?

If the writer had listed the 1911 as the Number One full sized semi-auto and then graded the next 15 different designs in descending order with his explanations as to why they are an inferior option - I might have enjoyed the exercise.

- If I could be bothered to 'log-in' and leave a comment - it would be 'Bollocks'.

Tuesday, 27 December 2016

In the year 1997 following the imposition in UK of their Gun Bans - their violent crime rose by 69% and their gun crime almost doubled.

Last year - 2015 the UK Police admit to recovering more than 714 illegal firearms - Banned Weapons - that they say are readily obtainable and frequently smuggled in from Europe.

Previous years have averaged 600 plus. - All a BAN achieves is to disarm all law abiding inmates.

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In 2009 the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) published their study on stolen firearms and that was around 1,700 guns — "we're now looking at around over 3,000 guns being stolen in 2015." - The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) estimated that there were more than 260,000 firearms in the illicit firearms market.

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Gang Problem or Gun Problem?

The head of the USA Chicago Police Department is now admitting that more gun laws don’t necessarily result in less gun violence because criminals 'don’t play by society’s rules'. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said during a news conference on Monday that most of the Christmas shootings between Friday and Sunday evening were “targeted attacks by gang members going after rival gang members who were gathered for Christmas and holiday parties."

Chicago - USAs 3rd Largest City.

These deaths bring to more than 750 the number of gun-related deaths in Chicago just this year.- Chicago has among the nation’s most restrictive gun laws. But as Johnson acknowledged at his Monday press conference, repeat gun violence offenders don’t obey those laws.

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I was very interested to find that in USA, the State of INDIANA currently requires a license or permit to carry a concealed handgun.

LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd said a valid handgun license also shows a police officer that a person does not have a felony conviction, history of violence, or certain mental illnesses or other factors that could signal danger.- Their website says that 27 other states recognize & honor the Indiana License.Indiana State Police statistics record that police denied licenses to 2,044 people who were deemed unfit to carry handguns through the first three quarters of 2016. The state has more than 750,000 active gun licenses.- Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.If you really can't trust your elected representatives & Congressmen to do what they should - why do you vote for them? - select somebody that you do trust from your community.Marty K.

Monday, 26 December 2016

I guess we've all laughed at videos of inexperienced shooters being knocked about by large caliber firearms - well they are funny - in the same way that a comic can get a cheap laugh by slipping on a banana skin and falling on his ass ..

Is there an easier way to get admiring "whooooars" than to blast-off a full-house Magnum in a confined space - but how's your hearing? - What?

If you are not a well muscled fit & strong person consider that stress fractures to the carpal bones in the wrist and repetitive strain injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome and "tennis elbow" are not unknown & can result from repeated shooting with a powerful handgun such as a 'magnum' revolver.

He Does Look a Bit Worried eh.

You may feel pain resulting from inflammation to the joints - take heed and ease-off. - Think about buying and using padded shock-absorbing gloves (these are sold for cyclists and for weight lifters as well as shooters so you'll be in good company).

The whole point about owning a firearm is to train & eventually achieve a degree of accuracy with it .. not just to make a lot of noise eh. - And most of us need to practice some to get better at it. And if regular practice with your equipment is going to cause you injury - maybe you can trade-it-in at your nearest friendly Dealer.

When a shooter fires a .50" Browning rifle - say with a 720 grain bullet at up to 3,000 foot per second from a 20 pound bolt-action rifle - the recoil energy may be around 80 pounds.

- This may produce an unexpected effect on the shooter caused by broken collarbones, separated shoulder, and even back problems. - Once you've got a 'bad back' - you've got a friend for life.

.. but much more thought-worthy - detached retinas in the eyes may result in permanent blindness. This is a known issue with military snipers.

- Surely old Newton didn't waste his time coming-up with that Third Law back in 1687?

- Or you might just tough it out like the ex-joggers I used to know - their shin splints & replacement hips and knees don't slow them down too much getting in & out of their cars .. but their sticks can be a nuisance.

Friday, 23 December 2016

Written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1849 (when they did a lot of history) - the poetry line

"Nature, red in tooth and claw"

was adopted by others as a phrase that evokes the process of natural selection.. - Certainly by some aggressive violent process wherein the winner takes all.

Interestingly at both ends of life

we seem disarmed and toothless.- But throughout the middle period .. we demonstrate the armed aggression that gained us supremacy over all of the animal world and helped us feed and defend our dependents.

- Now we need to learn to start looking after what we have before it's too late eh - by exercising control.

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

Here's an example of how poorly informed I am - or indeed maybe also how remote New Zealand is from the shooters 'Real World' of USA. (or maybe I doze too much in my armchair).

The .50 GI cartridge was developed by Guncrafter Industries and was introduced at the 2004 SHOT Show alongside the Guncrafter Industries1911in that caliber. The round has a rebated rim that is the same diameter as that of the .45 acp and it is also called the 12.7×23mmRB.That's twelve years ago and I've only just heard of it! - or perhaps the round (and it's gun) is a 'dog'.The Youtube video that I've seen suggests it does muzzle flip a bit.

50 GI next to 45 acp Cartridge.

Mind you, surely the around US$700 conversion fitted on a Glock 20 or 21 should work OK.

I could be tempted by one of those toys.

I can't see much wrong with throwing eight or nine 300 grain solid copper expanding 50 Cal. pistol bullets down range at around 700 feet / sec. - This is not a wrist snapping MAGNUM round and should be pleasurable to shoot - But for the obvious issue of needing to find the ammo on sale somewhere - I read that *Starline* are making brass for it.

That's a big lump of lead copper eh.

Now I'd say that I can pick a fellow club shooter who NEEDS one of those - eh Col?Power levels have been kept reasonable - as they must be when using a 1911 clone and the round is said to feel in the same recoil class as the .45 acp. - and the .50 GI internal pressure levels are also of the same order at around 15,000 psi.
- Compare that maximum pressure level to the SAAMI limit of 45,000 psi used in the .327 Fed. Magnum. (my gun is coming - my Ruger is coming ;-))

- To be fair - that does look very nice - The way I feel about Xmas and all the rubbish you get lumbered with ... a real man should buy himself something that he truly needs eh.Life is good - Summer is here,Marty K.

Sunday, 18 December 2016

The speed of sound through air is around 1126 feet per second - above that it's SUPERSONIC - So what do you reckon the speed of sound is through water - faster or slower? *** Answer is further down the page.

Driving my wee Honda back from the supermarket - through the local NZ scenic limestone country at around 100 kph (- something like 62 mph or 91 feet per second) - I mused on a recent story from LBC Radio - that the average speed of London's road traffic is recorded as 7.8 mph.(11.4 ft/sec).

I've always known why we left London in the first place - and migrated by Boeing 747to New Zealand (at around 570 miles per hour = 836 feet per second or 920 km/h) with our young kids - but it is good to get some confirmation of my thinking.

(Plus - For the third time in one week .. separate 30 inch (75cm.) water main pipes have burst and caused major flooding in London's cold & wet homes & streets.)(Deferred Maintenance?).

- Now comes a reminder that America was very much built by the use of guns firingat close to the speed of sound.. In South Dakota, the Lakota Sioux tribes are steadfastly refusing to accept payment of around $1.2 Billion as "compensation" for the theft of the lands that the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie guaranteed them - “undisturbed use and occupation” - including the 'Black Hills', a resource-rich region of Western South Dakota.

A mere nine years after that Treaty - the land was taken away from the Sioux Nation because gold had been discovered.

- Here in New Zealand we similarly signed The Treaty of Waitangi with Maori Tribes in 1840 - and subsequently payments for Treaty breaches have consisted of hundreds of millions of dollars of reparations in cash and assets - as well as apologies.

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Donald Trump makes me laugh when he talks about 'building a wall' and 'illegal Mexicans' in USA

Essential Low Pay Migrant Agricultural Workers In USA.

- Didn't the USA take theStates of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, about half of New Mexico, about a quarter of Colorado, and a small section of Wyoming from the Mexicans in the first place - in 1848? - & notably the second largest state of US, The Republic of Texas (- 'The Lone Star State') - was also Mexican territory before joining the USA.- Talk about 'Post Truth Politics'.***The Speed of sound through pure water is roughly 4859 feet per second .. about 4.1 times faster than through air. - In Sea water it is around 4921 feet per second.(in Air it's 1126 ft/sec)Marty K.

Saturday, 17 December 2016

I bought this large format paperback in my local supermarket magazine section - it being put together from earlier articles to catch the Christmas trade by Rod & Rifle Magazine.

Packed with historic images of massive record-holding stag heads it tells the story of wealthy landowners amusements in the South Island back country.

Most of the early "Legends" from before World War II managed to brave the outback with retinues of paid bearers while they - being Lord & Lady This or The-Other didn't need to dirty their hands by even carrying their own rifles.

To be fair - the book only records life as it really was for 'the leisured classes' back in the early 1900s and it's not until the late 1940 /1950s that more ordinary hunters with ex-military .303" rifles took to the back country for sport and meat.

Here is one hunting detail from page 68 - from the year 1925:

"When Cobbold's month-long stalking expedition concluded he mentioned to Major Wilson that his shares in Europe had appreciated by 60,000 pounds while he had been in New Zealand.** "What a pity you didn't know, you could have stayed an extra week in the Wills" was the Majors reply."** That 60,000 pounds equals some 3.289342 Million in today's pounds - well over US$4 Million.. not a bad wealth gain for one month while on holiday eh.

An early rifle mentioned as used by three different stalkers is the .318" Westley Richards - primarily intended for use in Africa against elephant and other big game and introduced around 1910 for the Mauser '98 type rifle.

These 20 "Legends" recorded in this book certainly had the run of a very empty and wild country back then.

I know one hard-bitten South Island hunter who seems to spend most of his "Central" safari time feeding, adopting & taking selfies with baby rabbits and mice.

I guess that he cautiously liked it, he liked the grips too - follow the above link .. well made he says - but costs'a'lot. - It does appear to be a tidy looking & functional .357" piece (with snappy recoil) - but too expensive eh.

I came across an online comment to the effect that Kimber missed a great opportunity to build their revolver as a 'bottom chamber popper'. I truly support that as someday some manufacturer must surely move forward into the 21st Century and make a normal looking revolver that fires from the lower chamber to give near zero 'flip-up' on recoil..

- The Russians can do it so why not free-market America? - It doesn't have to be weird-looking like the Chiappa Rhino.

Thursday, 15 December 2016

A 20 year old "mentally ill" British man was recently sentenced to a year in prison for trying to snatch an officers gun and shoot Donald Trump at one of his rallies.

Michael Sandford who had overstayed his visa while travelling and sleeping in his car - is autistic & was diagnosed with having had a psychotic event at Trumps rally in Las Vegas Treasure Island Casino in June.

He had driven from California to Las Vegas on June 16 and attended a shooting range the very next day where he learned to shoot for the very first time.

Weirdo Brit Sandford was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and of disrupting an official function.

Judge James Mahan told him: "You have a medical problem. You should not be ashamed or embarrassed about it. You need medication.'You're not a hardened criminal. You're not evil or a sociopath like a lot of people we have." Err - What?- His mother, who said her son "means everything to her" - said he is extremely vulnerable and suffers from various mental health issues including autism, anxiety, depression and anorexia, and said he would not have foreseen the consequences of his actions.Sandford had been living in America for 18 months and had 'lost touch with home'.Marty K.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Shareholders of the gun-maker Smith & Wesson (SWHC) voted to change the company name toAmerican Outdoor Brands Corp., the company said in a Tuesday statement.The new name will go into effect on or about Jan. 1, after which the company will be traded under the ticker AOBC.

President and CEO James Debney said that the company is excited about the results of the vote. - Ooooh, so am I.

Iconic S&W Model 10.

However the brand name Smith & Wesson will remain for its firearms products, operating as Smith & Wesson Corp., a subsidiary of American Outdoor Brands Corp..

Horace Smith and D.B. Wesson first produced revolvers under their names in 1852. Its 44 Magnum handgun is famous for being Clint Eastwood's weapon of choice in the "Dirty Harry" series of films. As well as manufacturing firearms, it makes tree saws, knives and accessories such as cleaning products.

- Phewwww For a minute there I thought that they were going to be called 'Ruger'.

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun"

So said Mao Zedong in 1938 - but I'm more inclined currently to think that power comes out of the corporate executive entrance of tall office buildings - when smartly suited men go to lunch with Congressmen and the Cabinet members of our Western Governments.

- So far, Donald Trump's appointed "Champions of the forgotten working class man"administration together have personal wealth amounting to a record 35 BILLION Dollars.

- Just a quiet word eh..

Do They NEED More Money?

In 1995 / 1996 New Zealand's Electricity generation and supply was corporatized / Privatized with the claim that consumers would benefit from reduced prices resulting from commercial competition.- A former manager Richard Healey has turned whistle-blower and prompted an audit of Otago's electricity distribution network. - He said that their power poles were neglected and in a dangerous condition.

(- Back in September this year the Wellington Electricity Lines company had a similar warning from the Commerce Commission of too many failures due to pole collapses.)Todays news from Dunedin is that a report from Deloittes has fully supported whistle-blower Healey and now 30 Million dollars worth of emergency repairs will be urgently started in this area.New Zealand Rail was similarly 'Corporatised' and then privatized in 1993 - and after years of 'profit taking' and neglect - the Government had to commit 200 Million Dollars for deferred maintenance in 2004 - and then Rail had to be "Re-Nationalised" for 690 Million Dollars in 2008 as 'KiwiRail' - and we bought-back the Auckland Metropolitan rail network in 2002 for 81 Million Dollars.Are we to expect the Electricity Generation and Distribution systems to be re-nationalized in the near future so that essential modernization and maintenance may be conducted? Will the Executives and Directors be required to return their large bonuses and salaries to taxpayers?Well, - we voted for them eh.Marty K.

Monday, 12 December 2016

Years ago back in 1835 - when they did a lot of history - a bloke called Coriolis invented a 'fictitious force' called the 'Coriolis Effect'. - Before that - things didn't spin so much and just sort-of jumped up'n'down and wobbled a bit when they had earthquakes and stuff..
Long range shooters need to consider the Coriolis effect when shooting beyond a couple of hundred yards (it's even worse if you're using metrics eh).

The Coriolis effect is caused by the inertia of the Earth spinning to the EAST at around a 1,040 mph at the equator and this is easily observed now that we have man-made satellites - by the tendency of low pressure storms to rotate in a clockwise manner in the Northern hemisphere when seen from above.(That bloke Coriolis must have had a hunch eh)

Northern Hemisphere Storm.

- and in the other direction in the Southern Hemisphere ..

Southern Hemisphere Storm.

From a shooting perspective in the Northern Hemisphere this will cause your shots to deflect to the RIGHT.

- While down here in "The Antipodes" our shots are deflected to the LEFT. (- Incidentally ourantipodes is Spain).

When you are shooting roughly East-West (or West-East) in either hemisphere there is no sight correction required - however if you are shooting on a North-South alignment you may observe this bullet drift - if the projectiles base is visible in your optics.

- Now feel free to argue about this among yourselves - but another example of the rotational effect of planet Earth is that your bath water will rotate anti-clockwise when draining in the planets' upper half - and down here in the lower Pacific - it will spin clockwise.

'Pommie Plughole'

Confession: Now I have absolutely no experience of this because I have not had a bath in forty years(since coming to NZ). (- Mind you I have been swimming - does that count?)

Please do not confuse this Coriolis Effect with the Magnus Effect(invented by a different old bloke)- which is the "curve-ball phenomenon" resulting from the air moving differently on opposite sides of a spinning object. This causes a speeding bullet to 'crab' to either side depending on the direction of the barrel rifling. You need to consider 'yaw' together with the bullets centre of pressure - as opposed to its centre of gravity.

P.S. I'm sure that those who have read this far will not be surprised to hear that the duration of a modern day is around 1.7 milliseconds longer than it was a hundred years ago - as the rate of Earths spin slows. This doesn't have much effect on long range accuracy but..

However - today's starter question for ten points: Which direction would you need to fly (in a long-range aircraft) to go directly to your antipodes?

Saturday, 10 December 2016

November 22 1963 President Kennedy was assassinated. - Two days later the man accused of the shooting Lee Harvey Oswald was himself shot & killed live on television by someone known as Jack Ruby.

Jacob Leonard Rubenstein born in 1911 of Polish Orthodox-Jewish parents was an 'underworld figure' involved in nightclubs, strippers, prostitution, drugs and gambling. He moved in the same circles as local Mafia bosses and had been in Cuba in 1959 visiting with known Casino operating Mafia figures.

TIMELINE IN CONTEXT:

The Fidel Castro led Cuban Revolution dated 26 July 1959.The CIA failed BAY of PIGS INVASION was 17 April 1961. - It took Castro 3 days to defeat the 1,400 para-military invaders and their 8 US B26 Bombers..The CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS ended on 28 October 1962** - and the blockade was formally lifted November 20 1962.

President Jack Kennedy was killed 22 November 1963.

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**18 years old - I took a day off work - if the missiles were going to rain-down - I didn't want to end-up preserved in molten plastic like a fly in amber - I was going to be vaporized properly at home in comfort - not in a smelly plastics factory.

Ruby with a club worker.Shot Oswald November 24 1963

Ruby had close ties to many Dallas Police officers who frequented his nightclubs, where he provided them with free liquor, prostitutes and other favors.Ruby's Cop friend Joe Cody bought the gun 'tax free' for Ruby from Rays Sporting Goods, Dallas for $62.50 - saving Ruby $18 tax.When 'Ruby' gut-shot Oswald - the whole tragic Kennedy Assassination moved up into a confusing series of inquiries that offered conflicting evidence and conclusions - serving mainly to obscure any evidence. - Now, 53 years later - you can choose your own 'facts' to back-up whatever conspiracy theory you support. The Warren Commission findings stated that both Oswald and Ruby acted alone.

Ruby's Colt Cobra Revolver .38" Special.

The Scratched Initials Are The Arresting Officers.

- Many surfaces of the revolver now bear the scratched initials of four arresting officers, - dates & evidence numbers and a scratched arrow on the cylinder points to the chamber that fired the fatal shot..'Ruby' died 'innocent' (following an appeal) on January 3 1967 in prison - from lung cancer that he claimed he had been injected with. His revolver - sometimes called "The most Famous Gun in The World" was released to his estate and then was sold for $220,000 by the executor Earl Ruby on December 26 1991 to Anthony Pugliese** a "real estate developer" - who has recently been charged with money laundering and fraud in Florida.** Pugliese (& five other investors) used the name "Fred Roman" for the auction purchase.

Anthony Pugliese III With The Ruby Colt.

The .38 Colt CobraSerial No. 2744LLW has been used to fire many 'commemorative rounds' into a swimming pool to sell to collectors and has been well exploited - while some reckon the actual gun is worth 2 or 3 Million Dollars.

Each $1,000 Plaque includes a Fired Round.

Lee Harvey Oswald's Russian born wife Marina Oswald Porter is now a 72 year old grandmother & claims that she is still under FBI surveillance in Texas - and that there was a high level cover-up of the whole affair.